Favorite woods gun?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Oh, I don't exactly consider it a "woods gun," but I'm always wearing my little Taurus .32 H&R tucked behind my right hip when I'm working outside here. I wear it on my exercise hikes down to Marsh Creek (2 miles) and back too.
There are coyotes and mountain lions around here, but the biggest threats (of the 4-legged kind) are probably the farm and ranch dogs that will run a hundred yards down a neighbor's driveway to yell at me for "trespassing" on "their sections" of a county road. I carry pepper spray too when I'm out on my exercise hikes, but I've never had to use it OR my gun on a farm or ranch dog. I have a great big, honking hiking staff, and as soon as those wannabe bad-a** dogs take a look at that, they stop. Then they stand there and moan in frustration as I walk on by.;)
 
Ruger Bisley Flattop 44spl, Skeeter loads. Took it for a long wander on the newly bared ground (snow all gone) just yesterday. Pretty much nothing to worry about around here; maybe an opportunity at a coyote. But I just feel naked in the woods without a gun. Always have.
 
Northern Illinois is crawling with dangerous critters, they've got 2 legs and typically very few teeth. As far as 4 legged things that might choose to get aggressive , maybe a dog or something is possible. I'm always prepared though. Around my area a 45 acp or 10mm is my typical choice - in town and the "woods". If I'm up north and the possibility of black bear, cougar and wolf exist I'll take the 10mm if I'm bringing a rifle too, if I'll only have a handgun and no other weapon it's got to be my super redhawk in 454. It's overkill for self defense but if I need to shoot something I want to make sure I've got plenty of zap.
I'm a goofy guy about that stuff, I always want just a bit more than the most I think I'll need. Going to Wisconsin armed like I'm going to Alaska , it is "up north" after all. There's no doubt a 357 or 10mm would easily handle anything in the upper Midwest but I like big guns.
 
Unless hunting is on the menu I won't be carrying a long gun. In this case I like my companion holstered on a hip. Depending on where I'll be, why I'm hiking there and a hundred other particulars I'll likely pick one of these: .22LR Woodsman Sport - S&W M 15 .38 spl - Diamondback 4" .38 spl - S&W M65 3" .357 - Ruger BH 4-5/8" .45 Colt. A few others may have their moments but if it's not listed here it likely won't be carried.
 
Much like Obturation, I also live where the critters may exceed 300 pounds and wear camo, flannel, or beater shirts. Rare but not uncommon if there are bulk ammonia tanks around. I used to carry a Sport Woodsman but now, out of small game season, I'm usually carrying my 3" SP101 or my 4" 15-4. If I'm feeling really froggy, my 624. Biggest game during off season that I've taken has been a couple of woodchucks and one other large rodent that doesn't belong in my creek.
 
This time of year, my woods gun is usually my Single-Six along with a pocket full of .22lr. Carry that while mushroom hunting, on the tractor, basically whenever I'm out on the farm. Right now I'm more worried about no-legged critters than any others, and between the dog and SS, I'm not worried about anything 2 or 4 legged in the woods. Now in the fall, different story. I will carry one of my 4.75" SAA clones in .357, loaded with a 158gr JSP over a healthy snort of W231. I feel like that in our populated area, this .38 +P load is enough for whatever you might run across in the Arkansas woods. That particular load does a cracking good job on coons and other chicken thieves one might encounter; stops them in their tracks most of the time. Plus, fall is deer season, and I've been close enough to deer while on the tractor to pop one, just forgot to take the gun with me!

Mac
 
Ruger Mk4. It's annoyingly heavy after a few miles. I've never been a weight weenie when hiking/biking, but there's no ignoring the fact that unnecessary weight could be more water weight.
 
Well, our local urban “green spaces” are a bit different, in threat profile, and whether a visible weapon is socially acceptable, than, for example, my wife’s family’s wooded parcels of land, in the next county to our north, where arson and poaching have occurred. My most-favored firearm, period, is my first GP100, currently visible in my avatar image, so, it is the easy answer, but, on any given day, I may carry something different, and may well add a favored long weapon.

While on that wooded land, mentioned above, my most-likely long firearm would be a Benelli M2, accompanying the handgun. Several relatively compact rifles have recently vied for the title of favored woods-walking long weapon; some of them already on-hand, some at a nearby gun store, and some on-line. Thus far, in densely-vegetated parts of wet, green, humid SE Texas, a shotgun is not a bad choice, and a Benelli M2, with an 18-5” to 21” barrel, is so delightfully comfortable.
 
Woods gun /trail gun / truck gun threads are some of my favorites on thr.
If I'm just hiking or exploring with no real intent to shoot or plink....I will likely have my ol' lcp or maybe my sr9c.
20190417_191219.jpg

If deer scouting or morel hunting, i will most likely have my 4⅝ SSS with .22mag cylinder in my fancy crossdraw rig. ~maybe my el patron, 45colt in the same rig.
20200411_175157.jpg 20190420_172409.jpg
If I'm out-of-state, in unfamiliar territory, I will likely have my 1911 in a fobus paddle
20210131_141343.jpg

Or my s&w66 in a Roys Original owb.
20200216_163042.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

E
  • Locked
Favorite .44 magnum woods gun?
2
Replies
30
Views
6K
FlyinGN
F
D
  • Locked
Do you carry different guns for different situations?
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
MarineTech
M
J
  • Locked
Your favorite toy gun.
2 3
Replies
61
Views
5K
NMGonzo
N
D
  • Locked
Favorite Sleeper Gun
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
loud-mouth shnook
L
U
  • Locked
Sorta gun related, hot weather hunting hat problem solved
Replies
12
Views
800
another okie
A
Back
Top